Myriam Guerra-Balic

• MD, PhD
• Ramon Llull University

Lumbar range of motion (ROM) is essential to develop effective movements during the underwater undulatory swimming technique. Core exercises are used to improve the strength of the muscles that participate in that technique, and variations in sensory input and attentional focus may modulate neuromuscular responses and impact training outcomes. The...

Lumbar range of movement (ROM) is essential to develop effective movements during underwater undulatory swimming technique. Core exercises are used to improve the strength of the muscles that participate on that technique, nevertheless, they are not designed to improve lumbar ROM. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of an 11-week of 3...

Background Following acute and sub-acute rehabilitation from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), minimal to no efficacious interventions to treat ongoing cognitive deficits are available. Aerobic exercise is a non-invasive behavioral intervention with promise to treat cognitive deficits in TBI populations. Methods Six individuals, aged 24–62 year...

Background Following acute and sub-acute rehabilitation from severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), minimal to no efficacious interventions to treat ongoing cognitive deficits are available. Aerobic exercise is a non-invasive behavioral intervention with promise to treat cognitive deficits in TBI populations. Methods In this within-subject A-B-A stu...

Background: Hormone therapy is a highly effective method for treating menopausal disorders. However, its side effects may include an increased risk of cancer, heart disease, and pulmonary embolism. Previous research has demonstrated that both exercise and nutrition separately have positive effects on menopausal symptoms. Therefore, we suggest that...

Background Despite reported physical and functional improvements with aerobic and sprint interval training (SIT) protocols in individuals with intellectual disability (ID), it is not known if these interventions' effectivity would promote improvements in cardiac autonomic modulation. This study aimed to investigate if a 6‐month SIT or a continuous...

The main aim of this study was to evaluate injury prevalence, incidence rate, and burden in judo athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) who participate in international competitions. This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed data from the past year for 182 judo athletes with ID. Data was collected using a self-reported questionnaire,...

Background: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (IDs) often present deficiencies in motor, balance and postural control. On the other hand, the practice of physical activity and dance usually reduces these deficiencies. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the control of the centre of pressure (COP) in people with Down syndrome (DS...

Introduction The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of the Mézières Method (MM) on pain and disability related to low back pain (LBP), compared to a program of heat, massage and exercise, and to understand the meaning of the bodily experience with the MM. Patients and methods Mixed methods convergent parallel design, combining...

Objetivo determinar la relación entre exposición a pantallas, comportamiento sedentario y dolor musculoesquelético en adolescentes. Metodología: se realizó una revisión sistemática de artículos en las bases de datos web of science, dimensions, scopus, sciencedirect, clinical key y lens entre agosto 2022 - enero 2023, identificando 150 registros y d...

Deep-frying oil (DFO) contains high amounts of free radicals, and consuming foods prepared with this method causes damage to nervous tissue due to oxidative stress (OS). Since moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training (AT) reduces OS, the current search investigated the effects of AT on OS, apoptosis, and neurogenesis markers in the hippocampal...

The socioeconomic and built environment of an area are interrelated with health data and have a direct influence on children’s development. There are facilitators and barriers for schools to promote physical activity depending on the socioeconomic status of the school. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between physical activity...

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is a frequent reason for consultation, and one of the main causes of permanent work disability. Stratifying the risk of disability due to LBP allows the development of specific therapeutic interventions; however, such stratification requires valid and reliable instruments. Objective: To determine the internal cons...

During COVID-19 pandemic, quality of living was impacted by social isolation, loneliness, and altered sleep habits. The aims of this study were (1) to examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) levels with insomnia and loneliness among adults during Spain’s first COVID-19 wave of lockdown and its impact on women and (2) to examine the...

There is strong evidence to support the association between daily physical activity and sleep parameters in children and adolescents. Physical activity and outdoor play are favourably associated with most sleep outcomes in school children. The aim is to find out the levels of physical activity and the quality of sleep in Basque schoolchildren aged...

To control the development of people with congenital heart disease (CHD), it is important to follow their aerobic capacity (AC), especially when they exercise. This research aimed to study the progress of AC during a follow-up of adults with CHD. This is a longitudinal study which involved 127 adults with a mean age of 33.8 (11.1) years (57.5% fema...

Physical fitness is one of the most important physical and mental health aspects for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study aimed to test the effects of a long-term adapted judo program on the health-related physical fitness of children with ASD. The participants were recruited from various associations of families and schools for...

Introduction This study aimed to investigate the long-term effects of an adapted judo program on the motor skills and psychosocial abilities of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Methods All participants had been diagnosed with ASD and were assessed twice, one time at the start of the intervention and again 6 months later, with the Test...

Background Considering the confinement recommended by the World Health Organization due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, many community physical exercise programmes for older adults have had their activities cancelled. In this context, proposing strategies to recover the possible adverse effects of the confinement period is pertinent. The use of...

Background: Considering the confinement recommended by the World Health Organization due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, community physical exercise programs for older adults had their activities cancelled. In this context, proposing strategies to recover possible adverse effects of confinement period are pertinent. The use of self-management s...

(1) Background: Throughout the history of medical and psychology practice, specialists have worked to improve the quality of treatment and rehabilitation, which has led to the emergence of concepts such as serious games. These tools focus on different areas of intervention procedures, one of which is to help people with intellectual disability (ID)...

Introduction: The genetic disorder causing Down syndrome (DS) affects the cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic parameters. When exercising, sufficient blood flow is necessary for active muscles. Cardiac output (Q) must be proportional to the peripheral requirements. In case the stroke volume (SV) is lower, the heart rate (HR) will increase further in...

According to the WHO, globally, one in seven adolescents experiences a mental disorder, being in a detrimental situation toward educational achievement, social cohesion, future health and life chances. Calls to identify risk and resilience factors to develop effective preventive actions have been made. Following a systemic approach, we conducted a...

Adherence has emerged as a focal point and critical determinant of success for physical activity interventions. The term is used for both traditional and digital interventions, and for prescribed and nonprescribed activities. Many other terms for adherence are being used interchangeably, as there is no consensus on its precise conceptualization. Th...

: Osteoporosis is one of the most important problems associated with aging. Genetic and environmental agents affect the process of reducing bone mineral density (BMD). As environmental agents, mechanical load (something which exerts an opposing force on the system; hence system needs more power to perform that work) is the important factor, which a...

Background: Considering the confinement recommended by the World Health Organization due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, community physical exercise programs for older adults had their activities cancelled. In this context, proposing strategies to recover possible adverse effects of confinement period are pertinent. The use of self-management s...

Background: This study details the within-trial economic evaluation and long-term economic model of SITLESS, a multi-country, three-armed randomized controlled trial comparing a combined intervention of exercise referral schemes (ERS) enhanced by self-management strategies (SMS) against ERS alone and usual care (UC). Methods: A cost-utility anal...

Introduction: Adults with intellectual disability (ID) have lower physical fitness levels than their peers without disabilities, representing a risk to their health since physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness are directly related to better health and quality of life. Therefore, it is essential to determine the effects that exercise can h...

Background Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are increasingly common problems in the general population, which can lead to overweight, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and decreased motor and cognitive capacity among children and adolescents. Establishing healthy habits in childhood on the basis of the World Health Organization’s...

Introducción. El dolor lumbar (DL) es una causa frecuente de consulta y una de las principales causas de incapacidad laboral permanente. La estratificación del riesgo de discapacidad por DL permite desarrollar intervenciones terapéuticas específicas; sin embargo, dicha estratificación requiere instrumentos válidos y confiables. Objetivo. Determinar...

Human movement behaviours such as physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) during waking time have a significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in older adults. In this study, we aimed to analyse the association between self-reported and device-measured SB and PA with HRQoL in a cohort of community-dwelling older adults...

Background: While there is evidence that tendon adapts to training load, structural alterations in the patellar tendon in response to training loads are still unclear. The aim of this study is to identify changes in patellar tendon structure throughout pre-season and after finalizing the first competitive cycle. Methods: Nineteen professional ha...

The presence of missing data and small sample sizes are very common in social and health sciences. Concurrently to present a methodology to solve the small sample size and missing data, we aim to present a definition of Cognitive Reserve for people with Down Syndrome. This population has become an appealing focus to study this concept because of th...

The analysis of the heart rate variability (HRV) consists of changes in the time intervals between consecutive R waves. It provides information on the autonomic nervous system regulation and it is a predictor of adverse cardiovascular events. Several studies analyzed this parameter in youth and adults with Intellectual Disability (ID). Nevertheless...

The study of executive function decline in adults with Down syndrome (DS) is important, because it supports independent functioning in real-world settings. Inhibitory control is posited to be essential for self-regulation and adaptation to daily life activities. However, cognitive domains that most predict the capacity for inhibition in adults with...

Resumen Objetivo Proporcionar valores de referencia del Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) en adultos y adultos mayores en el País Vasco, identificando puntos de corte para medir la fragilidad y comparar los valores con otras poblaciones de España. Emplazamiento Bilbao capital, País Vasco (España). Participantes 1.923 personas mayores de...

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common reasons for visiting the doctor. The Mézières method (MM) emphasises body awareness and uses a global postural rehabilitation approach. It is used in the management of LBP, but its effectiveness has received limited formal evaluation. Objective: To determine the effects of MM on quality o...

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal disorder affecting simultaneously cardiovascular and respiratory systems. There is no research studying the coupling between these systems during cardiorespiratory exercise testing in a population with DS. Cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC), evaluated through principal component analysis (PCA), me...

Introduction: Down syndrome (DS) is a chromosomal disorder affecting simultaneously cardiovascular and respiratory systems. There is no research studying the coupling between these systems during cardiorespiratory exercise testing in a population with DS. Cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC), evaluated through principal component analysis (PCA), me...

Background Musculoskeletal disorders, especially in the feet, are common in people with Down syndrome (DS). Evaluation of podiatric footprints is important to prevent and manage orthopedic symptoms. The reliability of a wide variety of footprint measurement methods has been evaluated in healthy people, but few studies have considered the specific m...

The public health lockdown prompted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which included school closures that may have potentially serious consequences for people with disabilities or special educational needs, disrupted an ongoing adapted judo training intervention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study...

Background and Study Aim: Background and Study Aim: The proliferation of adapted judo programs for people with intellectual disabilities has garnered continuous growth in the number of participants in this activity. As a result of this growing popularity, a number of adapted international judo competitions are now being held. The adaptive judo clas...

BACKGROUND Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior are increasingly common problems in the general population, which can lead to overweight, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and decreased motor and cognitive capacity among children and adolescents. Establishing healthy habits in childhood on the basis of the World Health Organization’s...

The main aim of this study was to assess the criterion validity of the Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) to measure SB in community-dwelling older adults using thigh-measured accelerometry as the criterion method. 801 participants (75.6 ± 6.1 years old, 57.6% females) provided valid thigh-based accelerometer data (activPAL/Axivity) and complet...

Background: Aerobic capacity (AC) in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) is often reduced, mainly due to low confidence levels towards physical activity (PA). The main objective of this study was to estimate the association between PA level and AC (measured as peak of oxygen consumption, VO 2peak) in adults with CHD. Methods: A total of 183...

El waterpolo requiere una serie de fundamentos técnicos, de fundamentos tácticos, de cualidades psicosociales y de preparación física que se irán asumiendo de manera progresiva a medida que los jugadores y jugadoras avancen por las diferentes etapas de edad.La metodología de aprendizaje es muy importante a la hora de enseñar cualquier deporte. Adem...

The aim of this study was twofold: to know if the left-handed players are more effective in the goal categories and getting positive actions, in 1 and 2 position, than the right-handed in the same position at numerical inequality. To ascertain if the shots in 1 and 2 position, are less effective than the rest of the positions in the goal categories...

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating in all senses, particularly psychologically. Physical activity (PA) is known to aid psychological well-being, therefore, it should be identified and analyzed whether PA has been a coping strategy during this pandemic. The objective of this literature review is to analyze the extent to which eng...

Strength training is currently the most recommended primary therapeutic strategy to prevent and reverse the decline of muscle mass, strength, and functional deterioration associated with age. The aim is to provide reference values of handgrip strength (HGS) in the Basque Country population and compare the values with other populations. A total of 1...

The analysis of monosynaptic Hoffman’s reflex (H-reflex) involves recording the response to electrical stimulation of Ia-afferent fibers from the muscle spindle. The H-reflex can be used as a probe to study spinal neuronal pathways and mechanisms at rest and during movement in humans. The purpose of this study was to analyze the feasibility of the...

Background: People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have low levels of physical activity (PA) together with accelerated aging profiles. Adherence to PA interventions for persons with ID is low based on barriers such as motivation. The IDEA study aims to determine the effect of two types of exercise programs, continuous aerobic (CAEP) vs sprint...

The hand-grip strength test (HST) is one of the most utilized tests to measure muscle strength in older adults. It has been used to assess sarcopenia and fragility in older adults’ populations. PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to compare HST data from active older adults engaged in a physical activity promotion program in Spain with normative val...

During endurance exercise, skin temperature (Tsk) plays a fundamental role in thermoregulatory processes. Environmental temperature is the biggest determinant of the Tsk. During exercise, the response of the skin temperature might be influenced by aerobic fitness (VO 2peak). The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the dynamic of Tsk in hig...

Exercise is a form of physical activity (PA). PA is an important marker of health and quality of life in older adults. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the effect of exercise-based interventions on an at least six-month follow up PA measure, and to describe the specific strategies implemented...

Background Sarcopenia is the loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength and function that occurs as a consequence of aging. This condition result in physical disability, which limits the capacity to walk, increases the risk of falls and osteoporotic fractures. Several studies suggested an inverse relation between 25OHD serum levels, muscular strength a...

Introduction SITLESS is a randomised controlled trial determining whether exercise referral schemes can be enhanced by self-management strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase physical activity in the long term, in community-dwelling older citizens. The intervention is complex and requires a process evaluation to understand how impleme...

This study describes and compares physical activity (PA) levels and sedentary time (ST) of active (AG) and a non-active (NAG) groups of adults with intellectual disability (ID) versus a group of adults without ID. Thirty-seven participants from the AG, 29 from the NAG, and 31 adults without ID participated in this study. Height and weight were obta...

BACKGROUND: Lumbar range of movement (ROM) and its conscious control play a crucial role in maintaining lumbar health and result in better limb efficiency, core control, stability and balance. However, there is no single test that assesses both lumbar ROM and conscious control or proprioception. Here, we design a novel test to assess simultaneously...

The purpose of this study was, on one hand, to know if the left-handed players were more effective in the goal categories and getting positive actions in 1 and 2 position than the right-handed in the same offense position in Even Situational Framework (FJa). On the other hand, to know if the shots in 1 and 2 position were less effective than the re...

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at high risk for high levels of sedentary behaviour. To inform the development of programmes to reduce sedentary behaviour, insight into the correlates is needed. Therefore, the aim of this study is to review the evidence on correlates of sedentary behaviour in adults with ID. We performed a syste...

Introduction Promoting physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behaviour (SB) may exert beneficial effects on the older adult population, improving behavioural, functional, health and psychosocial outcomes in addition to reducing health, social care and personal costs. This paper describes the planned economic evaluation of SITLESS, a multico...

The inclusion process in adapted sport, affects at several levels on the Medical Services in Spanish Sport Federations (SMF), due to the presence of disabled athletes. This is a first part of the article titled Recommendations to the Medical Services in Spanish federations by sport, for the inclusion of athletes with disabilities. New significant a...

Barnet-López, S., Arbonés-García, M., Pérez-Testor, S. & Guerra-Balic., M. (2017). Development of an Observation Instrument for Recording Movement Analysis based on Laban’s Theory. PENSAR EN MOVIMIENTO: Revista de Ciencias del Ejercicio y la Salud, 15(2), 1-21. This paper describes the development process of an observation record inspired in Laban’...

El waterpolo es un deporte que va evolucionando progresivamente tanto a nivel de reglamento como de fundamentos técnico-tácticos. En los últimos años la utilización de software de análisis de video está en auge y se cree necesaria la utilización de estos programas no sólo para para analizar la estructura interna del waterpolo. El objetivo principal...

Little is known about the patterns of sedentary time (ST) and physical activity (PA) levels throughout the week among adults and older adults with Intellectual Disability (ID). We analyzed ST and PA patterns of adults and older adults with ID. Forty-two adults and 42 older adults with mild to severe ID participated in this study. Height and weight...

Background: Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the world's population. Recent evidence indicates that excessive sitting time is harmful to health, independent of meeting the recommended moderate to vigorous physical activity (PA) guidelines. The SITLESS project aims to determine whether exercise referral schemes (ERS) can be enhanced...

Supporting positive change in lifestyle behaviours is a priority in tackling the health inequalities experienced by adults with intellectual disabilities. In this systematic review, we examine the evidence on the definition, measurement and epidemiology of sedentary behaviour of adults with intellectual disabilities. A systematic literature search...

The connection between mind and body is activated through Dance/Movement Therapy (D/MT). This connection promotes the integration of emotional, cognitive and physical dimensions of a person. This study focused on emotional well-being, understood as a dimension within the construct of quality of life. The improvement of emotional well-being was exam...

Introduction: There is a clear relationship between the way of life and the health of individuals, and therefore, we can speak of healthy and unhealthy lifestyles. There are different surveys and questionnaires that evaluate the lifestyles of adolescents, but none of them offers a final score that can quantify the healthfulness of an adolescent's...

Total score with respect to age. The red line indicates the general mean. (TIF)

Multivariable analysis. (XLS)

Differences in the lifestyle components with respect to gender, age, location, origin, and family wealth (FAS II). 1 RULT = Rational use of leisure technology; 2 FAS II: Family wealth measured based on the Family Affluence Scale II. Highlighted boxes are where significant differences were found. The direction of the differences in the score is show...